Approach for requesting web pages from a web server using web-page specific cookie data

Abstract

According to the approach described herein, Web page-specific cookie data is used when Web pages are requested from a Web server. When a Web page is requested and received (the parent Web page), Web page-specific cookie data is generated and stored in association with the parent Web page. The Web page-specific cookie data reflects the values, at the time the parent Web page was received, of the cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the parent Web page. When a request is later made for another Web page that the parent Web page refers to, i.e., a child Web page, the Web page-specific cookie data for the parent Web page is retrieved and included with the request for the child Web page, instead of the current cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the parent Web page from a common cookie jar.

1 . A computer-implemented method for requesting Web pages, the computer-implemented method comprising: 
 requesting a first Web page from a Web server;    receiving the requested first Web page and first cookie data from the Web server;    generating second cookie data and storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page, wherein the second cookie data reflects the values, at the time the requested Web page was received, of the first cookie data received from the Web server and the values of other cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page; and    when requesting, from the Web server, a second Web page referenced by the first Web page, retrieving the second cookie data stored in association with the first Web page and including the second cookie data with the request for the second Web page, instead of current cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page.    
   
   
       2 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in the first Web page.  
   
   
       3 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein: 
 storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in a data structure, and    the computer-implemented method further comprises generating an index entry that corresponds to the first Web page and references the second cookie state data stored in the data structure.    
   
   
       4 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein a key for the index entry is the URL of the first Web page.  
   
   
       5 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising determining that the second Web page is to be requested at least in part based upon an expiration time associated with the first cookie data received from the Web server with the first Web page.  
   
   
       6 . The computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising identifying duplicate cookie data using data structure techniques to reduce the amount of duplicate data.  
   
   
       7 . A computer-readable medium for requesting Web pages, the computer-readable medium carrying instructions which, when processed by one or more processors, cause: 
 requesting a first Web page from a Web server;    receiving the requested first Web page and first cookie data from the Web server;    generating second cookie data and storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page, wherein the second cookie data reflects the values, at the time the requested Web page was received, of the first cookie data received from the Web server and the values of other cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page; and    when requesting, from the Web server, a second Web page referenced by the first Web page, retrieving the second cookie data stored in association with the first Web page and including the second cookie data with the request for the second Web page, instead of current cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page.    
   
   
       8 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 7 , wherein storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in the first Web page.  
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 7 , wherein: 
 storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in a data structure, and    the computer-readable medium further comprises additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause generating an index entry that corresponds to the first Web page and references the second cookie state data stored in the data structure.    
   
   
       10 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 7 , wherein a key for the index entry is the URL of the first Web page.  
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause determining that the second Web page is to be requested at least in part based upon an expiration time associated with the first cookie data received from the Web server with the first Web page.  
   
   
       12 . The computer-readable medium as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising additional instructions which, when processed by the one or more processors, cause identifying duplicate cookie data using data structure techniques to reduce the amount of duplicate data.  
   
   
       13 . An apparatus for requesting Web pages, the apparatus being configured to: 
 request a first Web page from a Web server;    receive the requested first Web page and first cookie data from the Web server;    generate second cookie data and storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page, wherein the second cookie data reflects the values, at the time the requested Web page was received, of the first cookie data received from the Web server and the values of other cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page; and    when requesting, from the Web server, a second Web page referenced by the first Web page, retrieving the second cookie data stored in association with the first Web page and including the second cookie data with the request for the second Web page, instead of current cookie data for the Internet domain associated with the first Web page.    
   
   
       14 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in the first Web page.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein: 
 storing the second cookie data in association with the first Web page includes storing the second cookie data in a data structure, and    the apparatus is further configured to generate an index entry that corresponds to the first Web page and references the second cookie state data stored in the data structure.    
   
   
       16 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein a key for the index entry is the URL of the first Web page.  
   
   
       17 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to determine that the second Web page is to be requested at least in part based upon an expiration time associated with the first cookie data received from the Web server with the first Web page.  
   
   
       18 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to identify duplicate cookie data using data structure techniques to reduce the amount of duplicate data.